Ruins (Pathfinder 2)

“It’s farther than this,” said Rigg. “Assuming the escarpment is roughly round or oval, it has to turn completely east before we’ve rounded it to the south and can strike out for the coast.”

“If anything we were told is true,” said Param.

“We weren’t told anything,” said Umbo. “The voice only talked to Rigg.”

“We heard it,” said Param. “Oh, please don’t fight over this. I just can’t go on, that’s all I’m saying. I’m exhausted. You said I’d get stronger, but I’m not.”

“You are,” said Rigg. “Much stronger. You walk farther each day, you move faster, you rest less often. Of course you’re stronger.”

“Walk farther, farther, farther, and up and down forever,” said Param. “The whole land looks the same.”

“But it’s not,” said Rigg. “It changes. With the elevation. We have different trees in this forest now, higher elevation yet from farther south. Different animals, a different season.”

“If there’s a difference, I can’t see it,” said Param.

Were people of the city all as blind as this? “We’re making progress,” said Rigg. “This is what a journey requires.”

“We had a carriage when we left the city,” said Param. “We had horses after. And we were running from danger. There’s no danger here. Where are we going? Why?”

“We’ve talked about this before. And you had the choice, when we were still near the Wall. You could have—”

“But I didn’t,” said Param, “and now I’m here. Why couldn’t we all have ridden that self-moving wagon you rode on, and gone into the starship, and flown away?”

“Because it’s buried under millions of tons of rock,” said Rigg. “To start with.”

“I know you’re doing what they said to do,” said Umbo. “And you’ve provided food for us, and we’ve been safe. But look at us. Look at Loaf. This is what came from doing what these machines told us to do. Why are we listening to them?”

“Good question,” said Olivenko, who had finally come back to join them.

“What else can we do?” asked Rigg. “If we’re in danger from starships from the home planet of the human race, then—”

“If,” said Param. “Ships between the stars? Really?”

“We saw the ship that planted us here when it arrived,” said Rigg. “As we passed through the Wall.”

“We saw something,” said Olivenko. “We only have the machines’ word that it meant what they said it meant.”

“Do you have some better source of information?” asked Rigg. “If what they say is true, then we’re the best hope of the human race—human races—of Garden.”

“Have we met any living humans from another wallfold?” asked Param.

“Why did your father train you, if you were just supposed to leave the wallfold where that training had some application?” asked Umbo.

“Do what you want,” said Rigg. “Go where you want. I’m going on.” Rigg rose to his feet and began to climb up the slope.

“So you’ll just leave us?” asked Param.

“You’re free to come,?

? said Rigg. “Or stay and rest.”

“He’s bluffing,” said Umbo. “He knows we can’t get food without him.”

“He won’t leave Loaf,” said Olivenko.

“He won’t leave me,” said Param.

But Rigg kept walking. Yes, he had started this maneuver as a bluff, but Umbo’s assertion of it as fact made him harden his resolve. They wouldn’t starve—Olivenko and Umbo were resourceful, even if Param and Loaf were useless. And if Rigg turned around now, then their trek would collapse into a democracy, which meant that whatever whim struck them would change their plans. There’d be no purpose. And he’d be trapped with them.